April 2005 Issue:

Four Ways to Confuse a Customer
Marketing is Moving Online - Are You?
What the Heck is a Webinar?

Archived Issues

Four Ways to Confuse a Customer

We all want to communicate clearly and effectively with our customers, right? Well, there are some common approaches in our marketing activities that may be doing more to confuse than communicate. Some common misconceptions include:

1. "Don't say anything negative"
Obviously, it’s great when you can portray your products or services in a positive light, and making a customer “desire” your product is powerful motivation to buy. On the other hand, sometimes it is appropriate to warn your prospects of the negative consequences of not taking action or buying your product. Safety factors, rising costs, etc. may truly be a critical factor your customer needs in order to make the right decision. Just be sure you don’t leave your customer in a state of fear – show them how your products can solve their problem so they don’t have to worry.

2. "Sell to your customers’ intellect, not their emotions"
Well that just sounds silly, doesn’t it? Conventional wisdom tells us that customers make decisions based on both intellect AND emotions, so it’s important to appeal to both of these aspects in your marketing. Often, a customer’s initial desire to buy comes from a need they must fill quickly. So your marketing message should of course appeal to your customers’ emotions and create a sense of urgency that can lead them to act quickly. However, you also must demonstrate to your customers that your product or service makes good business sense and is a “smart” decision that will help them succeed.

3. "Our mission statement clearly distinguishes us from our competition"
Really? Then take a look at the mission statements of your competition and other companies in similar industries. Notice anything familiar? You’ll probably see that all of these mission statements say remarkably similar things, including similar words and ideas used in your own mission statement!
Yes, mission statements are important, mostly because they reassure your customers that you have a sense of corporate goals and values. But really, the actual content is pretty meaningless to a prospect. Instead, spend your time talking to your customers about their needs and how you meet them instead of rattling off a list of your corporate philosophies.

4. "We must be strictly professional and businesslike in all of our marketing"
Well, of course you want to be professional when representing your company. But “professional” and “businesslike” do not have to mean boring, dry, or dull. Trying to be professional and businesslike often results in marketing materials that don’t get your message across because they are filled with language that is too serious and full of empty jargon. Fill your marketing pieces with clear, exciting ideas and language as if you were speaking to a good friend whom you respect. The end result will be materials that are not only informative, but also enjoyable to read!

Marketing Is Moving Online—Are You?

Small companies—even those that are consistent in using marketing as part of their business strategy—seem unusually slow to make the move to marketing on the World Wide Web. But online marketing can help your business in many ways, so what are your waiting for?

Be Brave, Little Business!

Like it or not, online marketing has already happened, and you should consider getting on board so your customers find you before they find your competition. Here are some concepts you should be aware of:

1. Your buyers are already online
Your potential customers are online reading your articles, attending Webinars to help them make decisions, reading your white papers or case studies, and often expecting to see interactive features describing you, your services, and the successes you've had with other clients.

2. First Stop – Your Web Site
Regardless of the marketing activities you already have in place (direct mail, ads, newsletters, etc.), the first place your customers will go is to your web site. Does your site encourage them to learn about your products and services? Does it provide clear, attractive, well-written content? If not, it may be confusing them or disappointing them and driving them away. Ask yourself, “is my current web site helping or hurting my marketing efforts?”

3 . Combine your efforts easily
Want to give your customers a great web experience? Consider combining your branding experience (what customers think about you) with your direct marketing tactics (what actions you want customers to take) by using online marketing.

For example, when placing an online ad in a publication that your target market reads regularly, your name gets in front of countless potential buyers. But in addition to the ad, you could offer a free download for a newsletter or whitepaper on a topic that is important to them. When they go to your web site to download the piece, they instantly form an impression about your company, and if it’s good, they will stay and download the free newsletter or whitepaper. Once they read this good, useful document, users will return again to your site to find additional helpful information and as a result keep you in mind when they are in need of the products or services that you provide.

So don’t be afraid to jump into the online marketing movement, because it can only help your marketing efforts even in the short term. Your clients are already online and looking for the things that you offer. Will you be ready for them?

What the Heck is a Webinar? (And Should You Try One?)

I’m sure you’ve heard the term, and you may have even attended a webinar or two. But basically, a webinar is an online seminar that can be used as a great marketing tool to inform prospects, provide valuable information, or even solidify your company’s credibility and expertise.

So if you are considering providing a webinar for your prospects, here are some important questions to ask yourself:

1. What would make a prospect interested in attending?
2. Who should we select as the speaker?
3. When is a good time to hold it?

First Things First – Use Great Content!
Who wants to attend a Webinar that’s an infomercial? Nobody. To make your webinar interesting, choose a topic that is really important to the audience you want to reach—one that is educational or solves a problem they face. Each person attending will be asking themselves if this is a good use of their time, and what’s in it for them. Give them useful information and a learning experience and you’ll get their attention.

Think Big
Let’s face it, a big name presenter is going to create a lot of buzz for your webinar, and generate lots of participants. Well-known presenters may be easier to get than you think, so be creative with your invitations to speakers. For instance, share the plans for how the event will be promoted and the amount of publicity they will get by participating. The opportunity to reach an audience they are interested in is also attractive, and you could even offer to share the leads generated from the event.

However, it’s not essential that you land a big-name presenter for your webinar. The appeal of a big-name presenter may bring in a bigger audience for that single event, but producing a sequence of content-focused events can pull better-qualified leads in the long run. Multiple events also offer your prospects more flexibility in dates and times.

Perfect Timing
After putting so much planning into your webinar, you’ll want to make sure your prospects are available to attend and are not busy doing other things. Check the calendar for things like holidays (and the days before and after them), Mondays (which are usually too busy) and Fridays (typically reserved for last-minute deadlines or leaving-early days). Start promoting your event about 30 days ahead of time so prospects have time to plan ahead. Also giving them a choice of dates and times can be a good strategy. To maximize participation, consider these approaches:

• Have your sales force call and personally invite customers and current prospects
• Keep the registration process simple. Gather only the information you need and reinforce the value of attending
• Send email reminders – an immediate “thanks for registering”, a reminder email about 10 days before the event, and another email an hour before the webinar begins

Always Follow Up ASAP
After your webinar is over, make sure to send each participant an email thanking them for attending. Also consider sending them a quick survey to gather their feedback about the event and its usefulness. Then, get the information to your sales staff and monitor results.

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